Brian Barry-Murphy has walked into Cardiff City with his eyes wide open.
The Irishman - who has worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Enzo Maresca at Leicester City - reckons he has learned enough to enable him to handle Vincent Tan.
Most former managers at the Bluebirds will admit managing downwards to the squad of players is the easy part, compared with managing upwards, towards the distant but demanding Cardiff owner.
But if his first press conference is anything to go by, the new manager (or head coach, as he says he’s happy to be called) isn’t daunted.
Instead, he is embracing the challenge, starting with a clear-eyed approach to his relationship with Tan.
"Vincent is so clear in how he wants to see football played,” Barry-Murphy said, addressing his role at what has proved one of the more unstable clubs in the Football League, who are about to start life in the third tier for the first time since 2003.
“I told him I had an understanding of that, but I have a vision of what I want to see.”
That balance – between satisfying Tan’s ambition and staying true to his own ideas – will be pivotal.
The Malaysian multi-millionaire is famously hands-on, having overseen years of ups and downs at the club, including multiple managerial changes, and burning through three different faces last season.
But Barry-Murphy appears unfazed. The 46-year-old’s only experience as a first-team manager came with Rochdale, where he finished his playing career, from 2019-21.
READ MORE: Brian Barry-Murphy Will Lean On Youth To Improve Cardiff City, But Big Questions Remain
He then spent three years as manager of Manchester City’s elite development squad.
“The process of dealing with our board is straightforward,” he said. “With real honesty and integrity.”
Barry-Murphy exudes quiet clarity – a man shaped by his own journey through football, including time spent under the influence of Guardiola during his City Football Group stint.
That grounding, he believes, has equipped him for the pressure that comes from managing upwards.
“At Rochdale, I spent a lot of time justifying what I did,” he reflected. “We have to be so clear that we will be judged on a Saturday.”
Clarity, identity, structure – these are the themes that echo through Barry-Murphy’s language.
He speaks of Cardiff’s “real potential,” likening the club’s current moment to his own career crossroads: full of possibilities but requiring direction.
“The vision for the club is clear,” he said. “My excitement at being here is really genuine. I understand the challenges, but there’s an opportunity to grow the club and achieve something special.”
Key to that will be building an identity – not just for the players, but for the supporters to rally behind.
While Tan has often been accused of short-termism, Barry-Murphy seems to have secured a degree of breathing space.
He revealed there’s “no pressure to sell” and that player exits will only happen “on our terms.”
READ MORE: Vincent Tan Insists Brian Barry-Murphy Was Always The Right Man For Cardiff City
Still, there’s no disguising the expectation. Cardiff were relegated last season after circling the drain for three seasons and a swift return is the clear target.
“Vincent was very clear about where he sees the club going and how quickly he wants to see that,” Barry-Murphy admitted.
“But I told him I had a deep belief in how to do that.”
His approach will be a possession-based, high-intensity style inspired by Guardiola, but adapted for the Championship.
He’s adamant that it’s possible to play attractive football, integrate young players like Rubin Colwill, and win.
“Rubin is probably symbolic of the club,” he said. “A lot of potential – it’s our job to unlock that.”
To do so, he’ll lean on the power of training.
“Mindset is developed on the training pitch,” he insisted. “It should look clear every single day from our training programme.”
His references to Guardiola are frequent, but not reverent – more like a foundation than a blueprint.
“The single most important thing I took from Guardiola is the way we trained. It’s different to anything I’ve seen in my life.”
Barry-Murphy also seems determined not to let Cardiff’s turbulent recent past define his future.
He acknowledged the instability that’s plagued the club, but said he asked hard questions before accepting the job – and came away reassured.
“I had my own questions – that my passion for the club was replicated at board level – and I got that straight away,” he said.
“Back in Ireland people would say it’s as big as it gets. It’s the most successful club in Wales – that’s a fact.”
“I lost one of my best friends last month,” he revealed in a poignant moment.
“I’m wearing a wrist band because one of my best friends, Joe Thompson died a few months ago of cancer.
“We spoke about this before he died when I was at Leicester and one of the biggest things he said was we don’t have time to hang around or look back.
“He was talking about the idea of when things go wrong, or what is going to happen if things don’t go right.
“That’s just a waste of time because all of our lives we prove people wrong. A large part of the reason I am here is down to a vow I made to him to try and push ourselves to do extraordinary things and try and fulfil what he would have wanted.
“We were teammates and I’d say we were like brothers sometimes. He had cancer in the end three times.
“The first time was a complete shock, the second time was when we were playing together and the final time he got it, it beat him. It didn’t really beat him, he just wasn’t able to survive.
“We spend all our lives waiting for something to go wrong. I don’t want to live like that anymore. I want to set the players free.”
Whether he can do that – and whether Tan gives him the time to – will define the next chapter at Cardiff City.
